


Plants Need the Sun to Grow

by sparrowflight002



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Gardens & Gardening, Pretty cute, a bit angst, a bit more romantic than the last one cause feelings are slowly developing, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:34:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24451441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparrowflight002/pseuds/sparrowflight002
Summary: Peridot has an idea that just might help Lapis adjust to life on Earth.
Relationships: Lapis Lazuli/Peridot (Steven Universe)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	Plants Need the Sun to Grow

**Author's Note:**

> This is somewhat of a continuation of my previous Lapidot fic, but can be read separately as well.
> 
> Also, almost every fanfic I write is inspired by a song to some degree. The song for this one is Turning Page by Sleeping At Last. 
> 
> Enjoy :)

Lapis had never seen anything as bright as the sun before coming to Earth. Every other planet she had visited orbited some far away star, or didn’t have an orbit at all. Even Homeworld had little need for a star, it’s own fluorescence serving that purpose. But on Earth, the sun was necessary for the plants and creatures. It was an integral, unmistakable part of everyday life. And that was just one of the things Lapis was having difficulty adjusting to. But she was trying. Peridot had given her a home in this barn, and even if the rest of the world seemed hostile, she could take as much time as she needed coming to terms with it.

“Hey Lapis, I laid the soil down if you’re ready to come out.” Peridot peeked inside the barn, a bright smile stretched across her face. She found some farmer’s clothes inside one of the trunks, and had refused to take them off since. Lapis couldn’t help but chuckle at the dark red plaid and straw hat casting shade over Peridot’s face.

“Yeah, I’ll be out in a second,” Lapis replied, casting another glance at the door to see Peridot nod and skip excitedly back to the miniature garden they had decided to set up. If she was honest with herself, Lapis wasn’t very interested in the garden. The abundance of life on this planet was just as off putting as everything else. But Peridot was so excited by the idea that she couldn’t afford to say no. And she had worked so hard to make Lapis feel welcome here, Lapis had to make an effort to open up in return. With only slight hesitance, Lapis took a step out into the sun.

Only a few feet away, Peridot stood beside their DIY planter, chest puffed and eyes shining as she caught sight of Lapis’ approach. Peridot had insisted on keeping the makeshift planter a surprise, sneaking off for hours at a time to her “secret” workspace behind the barn. Lapis could practically feel the pride radiating off of her as she presented her latest masterpiece. Which was actually… barely holding itself together.

Lapis giggled fondly at the juxtaposition. The boards of the planter jutted out at slightly different angles. Some nails were fixed securely into the wood, while others were sticking out of the frame, bent at odd angles as though they had been hit multiple times in frustration. A breeze blew past them, taking with it a sizable chunk of the freshly poured soil from between the boards. Beside this, Peridot was glowing with excitement as she awaited Lapis’ response.

Lapis had spent enough years on Homeworld to memorize the roles of nearly every cut of gem. She knew that Peridot had likely spent years calculating complicated formulas, building far more complex machinery with a level of skill unmatched by any other gem. Yet Peri was glowing as though this dilapidated wooden box was the crowning achievement of her career. Needless to say, Lapis loved it just the way it was.

“It’s beautiful, Peridot,” Lapis assured her, and her face lit up to a degree Lapis didn’t think possible.

“Wow, are you sure?” Peridot replied, turning her flustered face to glance at the dirt, “I could barely find enough wood, even with the back of the barn, and I’m relatively inexperienced with Earth tools.”

Lapis decided to ignore the fact that they were probably missing part of the barn wall for now. She was too busy trying to understand her own emotions. Peridot was so kind to her, so patient with her faults and gentle with her feelings. She had already given Lapis far more than she ever could have hoped for in warm looks and sympathetic company. So why did Peridot feel she had to do even more for Lapis? Why would she have deep, heartfelt conversations with Lapis? Why would she plan new experiences to help Lapis adapt? Why… why would she make her gifts? Why would she care so much if Lapis like them? Why would such a wonderful, kind person care about her at all?

“Hey Lapis, you wanna help me plant them?” Peridot interrupted her swirling thoughts, smiling meekly as she gestured to the seedlings beside the planter. Lapis hesitated for a moment. “You don’t have to!” Peridot clarified, looking at her with a hint of concern. Was it _that_ obvious that Lapis was struggling? She wished she was better at dealing with all of this, if not for her own sake then so Peridot didn’t have to worry about her.

“No, it’s fine!” Lapis declared, trying to look sure of her decision. She walked up to Peridot and knelt in front of the planter, staring at the soil for a moment before turning to Peridot meekly.

“I-uh… I don’t know what to do.”

Peridot chuckled and kneeled beside her, leaning against Lapis as she began to dig a small hole in the soil. The soft fabric of Peridot’s shirt rubbed against her arm as she worked, almost as though it was comforting her. Lapis fought to keep her composure, staring determinedly at the developing hole in the soil to cover up how flustered she was. She couldn’t let herself feel this way, she didn’t deserve to have these feelings. Not after everything with Jasper, not after how she treated Peridot only a few weeks ago. Peridot would be much better off without her.

Yet she watched Peridot carry the seedling gently from its pot and carefully lower it into the hole. She covered its roots with soil, and pat the ground around the stem as though she was reassuring the little plant that everything would be ok. Lapis couldn’t help but look into her eyes and take in the love for Earth’s life that shone in them. She was so pure, so absolutely untainted by the horrible motivations Lapis was familiar with seeing in other gems and, occasionally, herself. Lapis definitely didn’t deserve her. But by stars was she happy she had Peridot in her life.

“There, just like that!” Peridot exclaimed, looking joyfully away from her work, only to see tears welling up in the corners of Lapis’ eyes. “Oh my stars, Lapis are you ok? Is this too much? You don’t have to plant anything if-”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Lapis interrupted, wiping her tears away quickly. She wasn’t sad, far from it actually. But Peridot was already starting to fret over her, so Lapis decided to cut her crying off early.

Only then did she realize how comfortable she felt in the sun, how it quickly evaporated the tracks from her tears and left her heart feeling lighter when she took a second to bask in its rays.

She supposed Peridot was a bit like the sun. Unfamiliar and overwhelming at first, but once Lapis spent some time with her, she was warm and welcoming. A light Lapis had never experienced before she came to Earth. A light she had never known she so desperately needed. Her feelings were too complex to decipher at the time, perhaps they would take even longer to come to terms with. But, regardless of that, regardless of how Peridot was feeling as well, Lapis knew Peridot had been there for her no matter what, whether she needed a shoulder to lean on or just a friend to spend time with.

She reached out a hand toward Peridot.

“Now let me try.”


End file.
